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Publication Abstract from PubMed

Malaria causes worldwide morbidity and mortality, and while chemotherapy remains an excellent means of malaria control, drug-resistant parasites necessitate the discovery of new antimalarials. Peptidases are a promising class of drug targets and perform several important roles during the Plasmodium falciparum erythrocytic life cycle. Herein, we report a multidisciplinary effort combining activity-based protein profiling, biochemical, and peptidomic approaches to functionally analyze two genetically essential P. falciparum metallo-aminopeptidases (MAPs), PfA-M1 and Pf-LAP. Through the synthesis of a suite of activity-based probes (ABPs) based on the general MAP inhibitor scaffold, bestatin, we generated specific ABPs for these two enzymes. Specific inhibition of PfA-M1 caused swelling of the parasite digestive vacuole and prevented proteolysis of hemoglobin (Hb)-derived oligopeptides, likely starving the parasite resulting in death. In contrast, inhibition of Pf-LAP was lethal to parasites early in the life cycle, prior to the onset of Hb degradation suggesting that Pf-LAP has an essential role outside of Hb digestion.

Bestatin-based chemical biology strategy reveals distinct roles for malaria M1- and M17-family aminopeptidases.,Harbut MB, Velmourougane G, Dalal S, Reiss G, Whisstock JC, Onder O, Brisson D, McGowan S, Klemba M, Greenbaum DC Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Aug 23;108(34):E526-34. Epub 2011 Aug 15. PMID:21844374^[1]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.